DBH: When It Rains
by WayWardWonderer
Summary: Car trouble leaves Gavin stranded on the side of the road during a rainstorm. An unexpected deviant comes to his rescue and the two spend a strange afternoon together before reaching a new form of respect for one another, and leave on good terms despite their obvious differences. (Takes place on the other side of town during Chapter 73 - Blinded in the "Accident Prone" series)


What had started out as a bad day had turned to absolute shit for Sergeant Gavin Reed as he found himself stranded on the side of the road with a dead battery in both his car and his phone. Stuck almost ten miles from the city in the relentlessly chilly rain and completely alone the stubborn detective struggled to shift his battered old car into neutral and push it down the slick road back toward the city's limits, all while the rain continued to soak through his clothing and chill him right to the bone.

Pushing on the trunk of his car with all of his might Gavin swore under his breath and flipped off every passing car that didn't bother to stop and help him out, or even offer to call a tow truck. "Assholes!" Raising his left middle finger high and proud into the air Gavin called out the driver who passed him by without even slowing down. "This is what I get for protectin' your sorry asses?! No wonder the androids won!"

The car continued on its way without slowing down or even showing any sign that the driver ever noticed Gavin as it drove by.

Brushing his wet hair back from his face with a quick pass of his hand Gavin glanced over his shoulder in time to see an autonomous taxi slowing down and passing the detective by before coming to a gentle stop just in front of the stalled out car. "Fuckin' finally!"

As taxi shifted into park the driver's side door opened and the occupant stepped out to assist the stranded motorist. "Detective Reed?"

"Fuckin'... Connor? Wait! Wait..." Getting a closer look at the deviant's face Gavin took in the black colored hair color, green eyes and lack of L.E.D. fairly quickly, and recognized the helpful android not as the RK-800 known as 'Connor', but as the RK-900 that had been dubbed 'Lucas' by Connor himself. Lucas of course had been taken in as Connor's adoptive brother ever since they were united in the basement of CyberLife Tower. "...Uh, 'Louis'?"

"Actually, it's 'Lucas'."

"Oh. What the fuck are you doing out here?"

"I'm returning to my apartment after my shift at New Jericho Tower, and after performing a 'house call' for a deviant who resides outside of the city."

"...Oh."

"How can I assist you?"

"...Uh, it's fine. Just let me borrow your phone so I can call for a tow truck."

"There is currently no signal on my phone as the cloud cover is too thick. The same can be said about my ability to contact automotive services through a cybernetic call."

"You're shitting me?"

"...I am not."

"Damn it! Of course..." Bowing his head down toward the trunk of his car Gavin sighed with defeat then immediately slammed both of his palms down on the slick, metal surface before he turned around and swore. "Fuckin' shit!"

Without a word Lucas opened up the driver's side door of Gavin's car and reached inside to release the lock on the hood, then stood before the hood as he popped it open. Peering down at the engine Lucas ran a quick scan and didn't see anything corroding or broken, but thanks to Hank's tutelage he knew that it was often the most common problem with the most common solution that needed to be handled in a very common manner.

"Hey!" Gavin noticed that Lucas was checking the car's engine and was immediately on the defensive. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"I'm attempting to locate the problem."

"I know what the problem is, my damn battery died."

"If you already knew the issue then why not ask me to jump your battery rather than call and pay for a tow truck?"

"Because... Fuck off! That's why..."

"...That is not a plausible explanation, but I understand your frustration."

"Shut up."

"I'm attempt to assist you, detective. Why are you being so hostile to my presence?"

"Nothing personal, but I hate all androids. Even your 'brother'."

"I'm aware."

"Wait... What?" Gavin was genuinely surprised by Lucas's demeanor and the subsequent lack of reaction to the statement. "You know that I-"

"I can jump your battery with jumper cables if you have a set."

"I, uh..."

Lucas simply took the keys from the ignition and pressed the button on the fob to pop open the trunk and check for the cables himself. There was a set tucked away in the corner of the trunk beneath a spare tire, a large flashlight, a security blanket, first aid kit and bunch of old fast food bags that piled up over the past few months.

"Hey?" Watching as the deviant set about connecting the prongs of the cable to the battery in Gavin's car, then hooked them up to the battery in the autonomous taxi with simple cybernetic commands to pop open the hood of the second vehicle, Gavin tried to figure out why Lucas was helping him out. "Hey! What the fuck are you doing?"

"I'm assisting you."

"WHY?"

Lucas paused for a moment before he put his exposed right hand down on the battery in the taxi and cybernetically restarted the vehicle to send the necessary charge over to Gavin's car. "Because you need help."

Unsure of how to react to the kind gesture Gavin just stood beside his car and remained silent until it was time to try to turn over the key in the ignition and restart his own vehicle. As the rain pounded down from the sky the air grew colder and the stubborn human could feel the chill gnawing away at his bones, but he didn't dare complain in front of the deviant.

"Your battery is very old." Lucas stated almost matter-of-factly. "It was manufactured in 2029. In a way it's impressive that it still functions at all."

"Yeah, yeah..."

"Drive to the nearest garage and I'll follow in the cab in case your vehicle stalls again."

"...Whatever."

Running a scan over the two vehicles Lucas gave the detective a single nod to signal it was time to turn the key. "That should be enough. I'll override the vehicle's preprogrammed functions to give you the necessary jump."

"Yeah, right." Sitting down in his driver's seat Gavin shrugged off his water logged leather jacket and shivered slightly. Using his right hand to turn the key in the ignition and his left hand to sweep his wet hair back and out of his face again Gavin turned the key and felt the car shuddering as it tried to start. "Come on, come on..." The engine roared to life and the heaters kicked back on with a welcome blast of warm air. "Yes! Fuck yeah!"

Lucas proceeded to remove the cables from the two vehicles, his motions so precise and calculated that he didn't have to worry about a risk of electric shock, and wrapped up the jumper cables to replace them in the trunk of Gavin's car. "There is a garage two point-"

"I know where it is." Gavin snapped as he pulled his door shut and fastened his seatbelt. Turning on the windshield wipers to a higher speed Gavin watched as Lucas slammed his trunk shut before he returned to the autonomous taxi and adjusted his G.P.S. coordinates so he could follow after Gavin into the city to ensure the detective made it to the garage in one piece. "...Plastic assholes must love seeing humans struggle."

Checking his mirror Gavin sighed and pulled his car back onto the road and watched in the rearview mirror as the autonomous taxi followed after him at a steady speed. Shaking his head with an annoyed sigh Gavin just tightened his hands around the steering wheel as he mentally pleaded with his car to not break down on him for a second time before he got to the city.

"Fuckin' rain." Swearing again as he tried to ignore how cold he felt with his clothing soaked through from the downpour Gavin cranked up the heat and made his way to the nearest garage to get his battery replaced to prevent a second issue like this from happening again. "Fuckin' shitty battery." Giving the taxi following him one last annoyed glance with the rearview mirror Gavin squared his jaw and sneered at the deviant following after him. "Fuckin' plastic freaks..."

* * *

Arriving at the garage without any further difficulty Gavin explained the situation to the mechanic, told him about needing the jump and how he just wanted the battery swapped out with another, and nothing more. In the middle of discussing things with the mechanic Lucas joined Gavin inside the garage and glanced about the interior of the building with a genuine curiosity as he never spent time at an automotive garage, and had learned everything about automotive maintenance from Hank in person.

"So what' the bill?" Gavin sighed as he filled out the necessary paperwork and tried to ignore the deviant standing a few feet behind him at the door.

"We'll get you an estimate on the repairs." The gruff, aged mechanic stated with an ironically mechanical voice. The mechanic was in his late forties, had thin gray hair barely covering his balding crown, a heavy pot belly and thickly calloused hands. "It should be an hour."

"An HOUR? For one battery being switched out? Come on!"

"There's a line ahead of you, and you didn't make an appointment. One hour's the best I can do."

"Fuck..." Soaked, cold and just wanting to get back to his apartment Gavin had no choice but to wait and dry out. "Whatever. Do it."

The mechanic nodded as he took Gavin's car keys and carried the paperwork into the garage to put the vehicle on the 'to-do' list.

"Detective?"

Almost flinching when Lucas spoke up in a voice that was similar to Connor, yet a few octaves deeper, Gavin just stared blankly at the counter top where he was standing and acknowledged the deviant. "...What?"

"You're very cold and need to warm up before you become ill."

Scoffing at the idea Gavin turned around and gave Lucas a venomous glare. "Yeah, can't let the weak, inferior humans get sick, right?"

"It has nothing to do with humanity as a whole, detective. I'm merely trying to help."

"Well, don't. I don't need your help."

"I beg to differ."

"What did you just say?" Standing before Lucas in an aggressive manner Gavin appeared as though he was ready to start a fight with the deviant. "You got a smart mouth like your brother?"

"No. I'm just being honest."

"Uh-huh, sure. Go ahead and say it. Tell me how weak humans are compared to androids."

"I will not."

"Why?"

"Because it's not true."

Confused yet again by Lucas's comments Gavin crossed his arms defensively over his chest as he stared at the deviant with waning anger. "Oh, really?"

"Yes. Androids aren't immortal and can in fact perish. There is no superiority from one species over the other."

Without anything to say Gavin just shook his head and made a move to pass through the door and back out into the rain.

"Detective, where are you going?"

"Outside." Passing through the glass door as the bell above it 'jingled' Gavin shouted back at the deviant without caring if anyone else head him. "I'm not sitting in the damn waiting area with a bunch of 'soccer moms' and their whiny brats for an hour."

Following after Gavin to head him off Lucas glanced about the surrounding buildings and quickly motioned to a diner across the street, and suggested that Gavin go there instead. "You should get something warm to eat to prevent illness from setting in and helping to correct your mild hypothermia."

"Why do you care?" Stopping short he gave the deviant another suspicious, angry glance.

"Because you work with my brother. He speaks highly of your skill as a detective and it could cause a problem with the precinct if one of their detectives was unable to perform their duties."

The rain continued to soak into Gavin's already wet clothing and made him shiver slightly as he contemplated Lucas's words. "Are you trying to kiss my ass?"

"No. I'm merely stating facts."

Unable to hide or deny that he was freezing cold Gavin relented and decided to go to the diner. "...Fine. I'll go."

"And I will go with you."

"What? Why?"

"I understand that waiting can be very tedious and mentally taxing for humans, and that companionship can help with the waiting process."

"...You want to have lunch with me?"

"I suppose so, yes."

"Alright, fine." Heading out to the sidewalk to use the crosswalk Gavin noticed that Lucas was following right at his side like a loyal puppy. "Since this is your idea you're buying."

"That is acceptable."

"Are you fuckin' serious?" Stopping as the crossing signal turned red Gavin gave Lucas a truly confused stare. "I was being sarcastic."

"I'm aware. But since you have to pay for car maintenance then me being able to help you out financially-"

"Alright, I get it." The signal turned green and Gavin set about the crosswalk as quickly as he could to get to the diner on the other side of the street. As he jogged Lucas jogged right at his side. "You're giving me a pity lunch."

"I don't pity you, detective. I just want to help."

"Whatever you say, plastic freak."

* * *

Hiding out in a booth in the back of the warm diner Gavin tried to sit as still as possible as he continued to shiver, and held his hands around the cup of steaming hot coffee that he had ordered as soon as he could. While he waited for his bowl of hot tomato soup and grilled cheese to be finished he stared at Lucas as the deviant sat on the opposite side of the booth with his eyes shut as he engaged with a quiet cybernetic conversation back at New Jericho Tower to ensure everything was still stable in the emergency repair bay.

To break the quiet tension the waitress carried a tray over to the booth and placed the soup and sandwich down in front of Gavin. "Here ya' go, hon'. Need anything else?"

"No, thanks."

"Alright, enjoy." Turning her attention to Lucas the waitress asked the deviant if he needed anything before she left. "What about you? Do you need anything?"

"No thank you, miss." Opening his eyes Gavin gave her a kind smile as he spoke. "I'm not hungry."

"Okay. If you change your mind I'll be back around soon to check on you."

Dipping his spoon into the soup Gavin stirred it a little before he dipped the corner of the grilled cheese into the soup and took a bite of the warm sandwich and relished in its flavor, and the way it chased off his lingering cold. "So you androids don't ever eat?"

"Not entirely. If it's Thirium based we can eat it, however, we prefer to drink Thirium."

"Cool story, bro."

"You asked and I answered. That's all."

"Yeah, whatever." Between bites of his warm sandwich and soup Gavin continued to eye the deviant warily. "So, what's with your name?"

"My name?"

"Yeah. Why'd CyberLife name Connor 'Connor' and name you 'Lucas'?"

"CyberLife did not name me. Connor gave me the name 'Lucas' and Hank gave me the middle name of 'Caleb'."

"You have a _middle_ name?"

"Yes. As does Connor."

"What's that? Something boring like 'Johnathan' or 'James'?"

"No, it's Henry."

Gavin stopped chewing and almost coughed. "Wait, Hank named Connor after himself?"

"Yes. It turns out my first name is Hank's middle name, so we're both named after him."

"What the fuck? That's weird."

"It's not. Many families name their offspring after the family that came before them."

"Yeah, but you're not really his kids. You're adopted."

"I fail to see how our adoption makes us any less than Hank's sons."

Again Gavin was left without a reply and he just gave Lucas an amused grin. "...Alright, you got me there."

"How is your lunch?"

"Pretty good. I never knew this diner existed until today."

Lucas nodded as he glanced out the window to the garage across the street and watched the mechanics with a keen interest. "Detective-"

"Stop calling me 'detective'." Gavin snarled as he stirred his soup again. "Just call me 'Gavin'."

"Gavin," continuing with his original comment Lucas updated Gavin on the activity at the garage across the street. "I believe the mechanics are going to tell you that you need more maintenance on your vehicle that you do not actually require."

"What makes you say that?"

"Every vehicle that has left the garage has had at least two new tires, two different vehicles have new headlights, and one apparently had their driver's side mirror replaced."

"It's a garage, you idiot. That's why people are there." Finishing off his meal Gavin sipped at the bitter coffee, using it more for the warmth than the drink itself, and put the mug back down beside his partially empty soup bowl. "People are getting their cars fixed."

"No, I believe these people are getting ripped off."

"Oh, really?" Popping the final bite of the grilled cheese into his mouth Gavin gave the deviant a suspicious stare. "Can you prove it?"

"Possibly."

A sly smirk appeared on his face as he decided to challenge the deviant on the claim. "Alright, go prove it!"

"Very well." Standing up from the booth Lucas headed toward the front counter's register. "I'll go pay the bill."

Gavin leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest as he watched Lucas walk up to the front of the restaurant and paid for his lunch. "This I gotta' see..."

* * *

Eager to see the show of arrogance between the deviant and the mechanic Gavin walked back over to the garage to pick up his car and pay for the repairs, and just waited for the list of charges to be presented to him in an itemized bill. The coy smirk on his face disappeared quickly as the mechanic slid him his paper bill, and saw the hefty sum just waiting for him to sign and pay.

"What the fuck is this?"

"Your battery was bad, and so was your air filter." The mechanic sounded as smug as he was proud. "We also had to give it an oil change, swapped out the brake pads, checked the fluids, replaced the wiper blades and your right rear turn signal was about to burn out."

"I did NOT give you permission to do any of this." Gavin slapped his hand down on the bill angrily. "I just said change the damn battery!"

"Well, it's too late. We can't undo these repairs." Crossing his arms over his chest the mechanic had a look in his eyes that said he was used to that type of reaction from his customers. "Pay the bill or we're calling the cops."

As Gavin made a move to pull his badge from his pocket and put the mechanic in his place Lucas suddenly spoke up and interjected. "You did not do anything beyond replacing the battery."

"What?" The mechanic almost laughed at the deviant's bold claim. "What're you talking about, kid?"

"I watched you from the diner across the street." Lucas challenged without any fear behind his declaration. "I watched you replace the battery and drive the vehicle to its current parking place out back. I know for a fact you did not do anything beyond the battery change, and the repairs you claimed to have done are completely unfounded in any way."

"How do you-"

"Because I checked the engine when I jumped the battery. The air filter had been replaced approximately five weeks prior, the oil doesn't need to be changed for another one-thousand and eighteen miles, the brake pads weren't worn out enough to elicit a replacement, the fluids were already topped off, the windshield wiper blades weren't worn out and the turn signal wasn't faltering. I followed him during the drive and I didn't see his rear right turn signal flickering throughout his five right turns."

The mechanic looked stunned and paled a little as his arms began to slouch down from his chest.

"I suggest you correct this bill without protest."

The mechanic decided to double down and deny the deviant's bold claim. "It's your word against mine, kid. Who do you think the cops are gonna' believe?"

Gavin sensed his cue and finally pulled his badge from his pocket, proudly holding it up for the mechanic to see. "I can guaran-damn-tee that at least ONE cop is going to believe him. Want to try again?"

Paling four shades whiter the mechanic's smugness drained from his eyes and he swallowed nervously. "I... I didn't know you were a cop."

"I would certainly hope not, no one should be THAT stupid."

"Uh, how about I just skip the bill and give you that new battery free of charge? Huh?"

"That's the right first step, but I'm not going anywhere until we get some audits in motion."

"A-Audits?"

"Sure. If you're so blatantly ripping me off in broad daylight I can only imagine what you're doing to the other people who stop by."

"I, uh, please... Please I have a family!"

"So do the people you rip off you dickhead!" Yelling the retort Gavin made a quick call to get some people snooping around the garage for more answers and gave Lucas an appreciative nod. "Think of this as your last day on the job and your first day of a very long, very early retirement."

* * *

As a group of very interested officers converged on the garage Gavin gave the scam artist of a mechanic a righteously arrogant stare and spun his car keys around the keyring on his index fingertip, and walked over to his car with a sense of satisfaction in his steps. As he opened the driver's side door Gavin noticed that the rain was letting up a little, but it was still going to be a chilly, wet day and well into the night. It was then he noticed Lucas standing on the sidewalk on the opposite side of the parking lot as he waited for the autonomous taxi he had summoned to arrive.

"Yo, Lucas." Shouting at the deviant Gavin waited for Lucas to turn around and look at him. "Need a ride?"

"No, I hailed a cab."

"Fuck that. I'll give you a ride."

Lucas seemed genuinely surprised by the offer and hesitated before accepting.

"Come on! You got me free repairs on my car and got me a free lunch, let me give you a free ride."

"...Very well." Rushing through the rain across the parking lot and to the passenger side of the car, Lucas sat down beside Gavin and fastened his seatbelt as he readily got out of the rain. "Thank you."

"Yeah, whatever."

As the car pulled out of the parking spot Lucas looked at the garage through his window. "Will the garage be shut down?"

"Most likely. My guess is that asshole is going to spend some time behind bars for fraud and his team is going to be let go after they're investigated, but in a few months the garage will reopen under new management."

"Does it happen often?"

"I don't know." Pulling out of the parking lot and onto the street Gavin made his way to the android exclusive apartment complex where he knew Lucas and Connor lived so he could drop the deviant off. "I work in homicide, not fraud or lame-ass blue collar crimes."

"Fair point."

As the car idled at the red light Gavin looked over at Lucas and sighed a little. "Look, I get you were just trying to help me out all day and I know I was being a prick. Don't take it personally."

"I won't. I understand your disdain toward androids and don't take it as a personal attack."

"Good."

"Neither does Connor."

"Uh... good? Glad he doesn't hold grudges."

"...I don't know why you hate androids," Lucas stated in a calm and empathetic voice. "but I hope in time you can overcome whatever it was that instilled such a hatred in your mind."

"...Yeah, sure."

Silence filled the air as Gavin finished driving to the final block where the apartment complex was located. "If you wish you can drop me off here. This is my block and I'll walk the rest of the way."

"I don't mind dropping you off at the apartment. It's not a big deal." Turning onto the block and pulling up in front of the building Gavin threw the car into park and watched as Lucas unfastened his seatbelt and opened the passenger side door. "Well, thanks for sticking it to that asshole mechanic. You saved me from a massive bill and you got some shithead scam artist off the street."

"You're welcome. Thank you for the ride."

"Sure, whatever. Hey, Lucas." Holding up his finger as if scolding the deviant Gavin gave him one final request as the deviant looked back into the car's cab to lock eyes with the detective. "Do NOT tell anyone about this. Ever. That especially means Connor! AND Hank! No one needs to know about this!"

"I won't say a word, Gavin. I swear to it."

"Good." The passenger door slammed shut and Gavin pulled away from the block to head to at long last return his own apartment a few blocks away. "Don't want people thinkin' I'm goin' soft on those plastic freaks or some shit."

_**-End of Story-**_


End file.
